


Murder She Wrote

by MajorWeak



Category: Castle, Richard Castle - Fandom
Genre: Drugs, F/M, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Love, Mystery, Violence, richard castle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-18 07:15:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4697057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajorWeak/pseuds/MajorWeak





	1. Chapter 1

Another day, cold, cloudy and all with a chance of a storm. Another murder had turned up at the station, call taken by Detective Kate Beckett, one of New Yorks finest Detectives, alongside her goofy and witty sidekick/partner, Richard Castle- Number One Author.

"Detective Beckett." The warm and inviting voice trailed down the phone line and into the receiver.

"Hi, I'd like to report a murder, Victoria Malcom, West 34th Street, Apartment 294." The other spoke, her voice struck with terror and sadness.

Without another word, the call was cut off, even with Beckett's futile attempt to reconnect with the caller. She stood from her desk, finger rounding Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan to her beck and call, with none other than Richard Castle by their sides.

-

The scene was horrific, although, it's nothing they hadn't seen before, possibly a brutal robbery gone wrong? At this point, they needed Lanie Parish, giving them the time of death as well as a cause.

"That's Victoria Malcom." Richard shot up, eyes narrowed and head down.

"Ok, and who is Victoria Malcom?" Beckett asked, looking at a distraught Castle.

"In highschool, we were best friends, one night, we slept together and never spoke again." He explained, a small breath escaping his red lips.

-

"We got a trace on the call, it was made by the office phone at Dalton High." Detective Ryan told them, looking up from his notepad.

"Alright, Ryan and Espo, sweep the area, see if there are any witnesses, me and Castle will go check the school." Beckett explained.

-

"Sounds like you two were close." Beckett said, walking through the school's office doors with Castle, where she received a nod from him.

"Can I help you?" The principal asked after just stepping out of his office, a navy blue suit, crooked tie and the smell of oak cologne now filling the air.

"Yes, detective Kate Beckett, NYPD." She held her badge out and Castle looked up at the man, a raised brow at the gentleman.

"We're looking for someone who used the phone this morning, at 7:15am." Castle spoke, tilting his head towards the phone in his office.

"Ah yes, Miss Ashley Malcom." The man walked into his office, sat in his chair and pulled up her class schedule.

"Were you in the office when she made the call?" Beckett asked, blatantly but yet, calmly.

"No, if a student needs to use the phone, we give them the discretion that they need." He looked over the class schedules. "Here we are, Miss Malcom is currently in English, room 32, is she in trouble?"

"She might be." Were the last words to leave the females mouth before she found the room.

-

"Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD. Can Miss Ashley Malcom please stand up and step forward." She called upon entering the room.

A few people looked to the back of the room and there she was. Short brown hair, bright blue eyes, tattoos that stopped at her wrists, tight black jeans with lace up boots to match, a black shirt, sleeves mid length and the bottom a little longer, almost in a punk rock style. Her books and pens were already packed into her shoulder bag, everyone's were.

Beckett and Castle looked at the girl, who at first seemed rock solid, but, fled out the window the second the bell rang, leaving Castle and Beckett to chase after her the long way. They split up, making the chances of catching the girl easier and it was. Almost out of the gates, Castle stopped right in front of Ashley and she froze in her place, eyes locked onto his before her gaze fell to the ground.

Beckett was quick to get cuffs on her, escorting her back to her car and then down to the station, where she sat in the interrogation room.

-

"Ashley Malcom." Beckett said, face stone cold as she walked into the room, her brown curled hair waving behind her as she threw a file down on the table and took her seat. "You've got a rap sheet as big as those tattoos of yours, assault, batterie, possession of drugs, possession of drugs with the intent to sell, break and enter, car theft." The list went on but the girl didn't even blink.

"So what?" Ashley asked, giving a shrug.

"So what, your mother was found dead this morning, you made a call from your principals office and gave us the tip off." Castle explained, taking his usual seat beside Beckett.

Ashley stared at the table, now keeping her mouth shut, arms folded across her chest in a defensive manner.

"Just tell us what happened, Ashley, we can help." Beckett said, voice soft and sweet, but full of other intentions, one to put her behind bars in permanent jail greens.

"Here's my story, Ashley and her mother fight, things get heated very fast, you didn't mean to but you grabbed the knife from the counter, slit your mums throat and stabbed her twenty two times..." Before Castle could finish his wild theory, Ashley jumped to her feet.

Kicking her chair back, she walked over to a now stood Castle and slammed him against the wall, only to have, Beckett and Esposito pull her off and cuff her to the table.

-

They left the interview room, entering the observation room on the other side, right as Ryan had walked in on their conversation about the girl.

"Did you just say Ashley Malcom?" Ryan asked and then looked through the window.

"Yeah, why?" Esposito asked.

"She's not our killer. Back when I was working in narcotics, we busted her a few times, dealing drugs and taking them. She's a good kid, she's just had it rough." Ryan said, sympathising with the girl.

"People change Ryan." Beckett stated.

"Look, let me talk to her, she'll speak to me, she always does." Ryan told them and headed into the interrogation room without a further word.


	2. Deadly Affairs

"Ash." Ryan said, taking a seat beside her rather than across from her. 

"Hey, Ryan." She mumbled, keeping her gaze at the ground, tone filled with sadness.

"What's going on girl, your rap sheet has grown since I last saw you and you stopped your tutoring too." He explained softly.

"Mum got sicker, good grades weren't going to cover her bills.." Ashley explains and looks up to Ryan.

"You could have called, you know that." He sighed.

"He's good." Castle mumbled, looking to Beckett and then back through the window.

"Ryan's always had a soft spot when it comes to kids, especially Ashley." Esposito chimed.

-

"Last time we spoke you told me you were looking for your dad, you find out who he was?" He asked, staring into her eyes.

"Yeah, but I can't say. There's no point anyway." She tells him, letting out a soft sigh.

"Look Ash, we found someone else's blood at the scene, we have your prints but not your DNA, think we could take a swab?" He asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"It's mine. I was getting ready to go to school and I went to the kitchen to make a coffee, there he was. He was six two or six three, beleclava, dark blue jeans, black leather jacket, black gloves and boots. He had a knife, went for mum and I tried stopping him but it was no use, blood went everywhere and when I tried to stop him, he cut my arm." She explained and rubbed her eyes.

A man entered the room, in a fancy suit. 

-

"My client is done here." He stated.

"I'm not your client." Ashley stated blatantly.

"Miss Malcom, Mr Marcone hired me for you." He stated, which sent Esposito out and to his desk, running the man's name through the system.

"Consider yourself fired, I don't need a lawyer and I sure as hell don't need Mr Marcone's help." She tells him, glaring eyes that make the man leave.

"Mr Marcone?" Ryan asked and sighed. "What are you doing hanging around Tommy Marcone?"

"Like I said, I had to pay mums bills somehow." Ashley said. "I was doing small jobs for him for big money. My last job was two nights ago, I was suppose to pick up a package for Tommy, pier 32 by the docks, but it wasn't there."

"And what did Tommy have to say about that?" Ryan asked.

"He thinks I stole it and sold it to keep the profit for myself. Said if I didn't give him the package or the money, he'd kill me. And that's all I know, I made the call from the principals phone this morning and then I got out of there, I knew what it would look like if I stuck around." She explained and stood up.

"Alright, let's get that DNA test done."

-

"Looks like your girl is a match for the DNA at the scene." Lanie tells Beckett and Castle.

"So, mafia hit gone wrong.." Castle was cut off quickly by Lanie.

"That's not all." She looked to Beckett and Castle. "Ryan told me that she doesn't know who her father is, but I do. It's Castle." She said simply.

"What?! How?" Castle asked, eyebrows raised and eyes wide in shock. "She's my daughter."

"Well, you did say that you slept with her mum." Beckett said casually. "But, I bet she'd want to be with her dad right now, and if I were her, I'd have snuck back into my apartment and boxed myself in my room, or, I'd be asleep in the hall because I couldn't get in."

-

"Why didn't you tell me back in the interview room?" Castle asked, kneeling beside the girl in the hall.

Ashley sat up from her lying position and shrugged before she rested back against the wall.

"Because mum tried telling you, she tried for ten years." Ashley explained. "You never even spoke to her after that night, never returned any of her calls or even looked at her." She stood up and straightened herself up, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I was young and stupid, I'm not like that anymore." He said softly and stood up as she did.

"It's always excuses with you." She scoffed. "Just stay out of my life, i don't need you and I don't need your pity."

-

Castle stood, arms by his sides as he watched her exit the building, deciding to chase after her and realising he was a few seconds too late and that Ashley was out of sight.

-

"Ash, are you ok?" Ryan asked after opening his door to see her standing there.

"Can I stay here tonight, they won't let me back in the apartment." She mumbled and immediately, Ryan stepped aside and led her inside.

"I'll set the spare room up for you, my wife is out of town visiting her parents so I was just going to order Chinese." He tells her.

Once he's set the spare room up, he comes back out and hands her a towel.

"Bathroom is second on the right, go and relax, food should be here when you get out." He tells her.

-

The warm water soothed her skin, leaving a coat of goosebumps along her somewhat tanned body.

"What's up Castle?" Ryan asked as he opened his door.

"I spent an hour trying to figure out where Ashley might be and I figured she trusted you and that she might be here." Castle said, now more relaxed than he was before.

"Yeah, she's just taking a shower, what's going on?" Ryan asked and let Castle inside.

"Lanie found out who her father is.." Castle paused for a few moments and exhaled a short breath. "I'm her father, Ryan."


	3. Chapter 3

Ashley walked out in clean clothes and saw Castle and Ryan talking. She stood looking at the two for a few more seconds before she found the spare room Ryan had set up and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her face before her hands ran through her hair.

-

There was a slight shift in the bed and Ashley looked to her side to see Castle sitting beside her, sighing softly, she decided to just let him say whatever he had planned on saying before she added her own opinion.

"I didn't come to give you any more excuses, I came because you are my daughter and I am worried about you. I wasn't around and I'm sorry, I'll always regret that, but, if and when you're ready to talk, I'll be waiting." Castle stood up, wringing his hands together as he walked back towards the door.

"Wait, I don't hate you ok, I'm just.." Ashley paused for a few seconds as she tried to think of the right words to say. "I'm just angry, so damn angry."

"If I said I knew how you felt, I'd be lying." Castle said, taking his seat back beside her in the edge of the bed. "But I'll try making it up to you, in anyway that I can, that much I can promise."

"You missed out on a lot, mum said that my first word was dad." Ash said softly and looked to him before looking back to the floor.

"I wish I could have been there to hear it." He replied, pausing for a few seconds. "You have a sister, her name is Alexis."

"I know." She said and sighed, "I know a lot about you, I've been studying you since I was twelve."

"I wish you would have come to me, instead of getting involved with drugs and a... Mob." He said softly.

"'Cause you'd just believe me too, oh hey, yeah I'm your kid etc.. We both know you would have just had one someone rid me away from you." She told him. "Besides, it's not that bad, it was easy money. Half up front and half on completion."

"But it's dangerous and you could have easily of been killed."

"Like I care, I've got nothing to lose anyway... Mums gone and now it's just me." She mumbled, turning her face away from Castle as tears fell down her face.

"You are not alone." Castle said, pulling her into his arms in a tight hug, his chin coming to rest on the top of her head. "You have me, Alexis, your Grandma and Beckett." He cooed and pressed a kiss to her hair. "Get some sleep, I'll come and see you tomorrow."

-

Ashley snuck out early the next morning, bed made and her things packed back into her bag. She was walking through an alley and suddenly a van pulled over and she was dragged inside, men in masks with guns on their hip.

A bag was pulled over her head before the van sped off and to Mr Tommy Marcone's safe house in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Nothing around for miles but tree's and grass and in front of that, a house, or as others would say, a mansion.

-

The bag was taken off her head and her eyes narrowed in the dimly light room, none other than Tommy standing in front of her.

"I get back from outta' town and the boys here are telling me that you've been talking to cops, which isn't even the worst part, oh no, that you were also staying with a cop last night." Tommy said, voice scarily calm.

"Look, Tommy, I didn't tell them anything." Ashley said and looked around the room, and, just as she expected, it was empty.

"Then why did my place get raided today, why's every cop in town out and looking for me?" He asked, stepping toward her before his fist swung forward and struck her in the stomach.

Ashley double over in pain and clutched her stomach, letting out a stinger breath before she straightened herself back up.

"Tommy, please." She said softly.

"You're gonna tell me everything you told them and if I have to, I'll beat it out of you." The man huffed, cracking his knuckles out in front of him.

-

"Ok, what's going on? Beckett, what's wrong?" Castle asked, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed.

"It's Ashley, Rick, she's missing and camera's show that she was kidnapped. We think it's Tommy Marcone but we've searched every property he owns." She tells Castle who's face goes from serious to worried in seconds.

-

Ashley is barely conscious as she watches Tommy leave the room, locking the door behind himself. She pulls her backup phone out of her boot and dials Castle's number.

"Hello?" Castle asked.

"Help.." Ashley breathed out and then, before she passed out, manages to slip her phone back into her boot, making sure she hadn't hung up.

"It's Ashley, Ryan, can you.." Castle blurted out and Ryan nodded before he traced the call.

-

The door bursted open and in came Castle and Beckett. Rick ran straight to Ashley's side and checked on her before a man told him to stand up, just after the sound of a cocked gun echoed through the room. Ashley opened her eyes, at least she was out of sight from Marcone, but there was her dad, a few feet in front of Marcone with a gun aimed at his head.

"Tommy, drop the gun, you don't wanna do this." Beckett said, moving to stand beside Castle, gun aimed out in front of her.

Ashley managed to stand to her feet quietly, stumbling at first. She took a breath and then ran toward Marcone, tackling him to the ground before relentlessly striking him in the face repeatedly.

"Don't ever point a gun at my dad again!" She snarled and continued her onslaught, only to be pulled off him by Castle.


End file.
